Hold Me
by Dancingqueen4Life
Summary: James has to go on an Auror mission. He doesn't say much about it when he returns, but Lily can tell it was bad. "Just hold me, James, we'll both feel better." So he did.


**I know it's been a while since I wrote a Harry Potter story, but I saw a picture, and decided it needed a story. So here you go.**

* * *

"James?"  
James Potter turned around and saw his fiancée standing in the doorway to their living room.

"Hey Lils!" He exclaimed, a smile on his face.  
"James." Lily whispered in return.  
"Lily, what's wrong?" James asked, concern quite evident in his voice.  
"I-I just…"  
"Lily, what can I do?"  
"Don't go, James. Please." Lily asked, her voice catching in her throat as she tried to block out tears.

James sighed as he walked across the room and enveloped Lily in his arms.

"You know I have to go, Lils. This one won't be as bad though, I promise."  
"You always say that, and then you always come home hurt, and I hate-" Lily was forced to stop speaking as a sob wrenched its way out of her throat.  
"You hate what, Lily?"  
"I hate the feeling I get when you're gone. I get scared, James. Because I don't know if you're going to come home or not."  
"Shh, Lily." James said as he kissed her head. He placed his hand under her chin and raised her face to look at his. "I promise I'll come home."  
"You can't promise that, James. It's too dangerous for anyone to be able to promise that."  
"They won't hurt me, Lils. They still think I'll change my mind and join them, same with Frank and Alice."  
"I know, but all it would take is one of them to decide to hurt you."  
"I know you're scared, Lily. I'm scared too. But I know that when I come home, you'll be sitting on the couch, most likely asleep. You'll have your head on the armrest, with your legs curled up. And when I get here, I'll end up carrying you up to our bedroom, and we'll fall asleep together."  
Lily nodded. "Promise?" She whispered.  
"I promise, Lily. I will come home."

Lily slowly nodded, not entirely convinced.  
"I mean it, Lils."  
James leaned down and captured her lips with his. It was fairly chaste, as their kisses went, but these kisses were always among Lily's favorites. Regardless, Lily tried deepening the kiss, only to have James pull away slightly.  
"Wait, Lily. Give me something to look forward to, ok?" He said with a smile.  
"I hate when you do that." Lily muttered.

James chuckled and kissed her nose. When he pulled away, he grabbed Lily's hand and led her to the couch, where they sat down together. James kissed the side on Lily's head inhaling deeply, smiling at the strawberry scent that wafted off her head.

"Sometimes I wonder if you shouldn't have been the dog, with the way you're always sniffing me."  
James laughed with her and kissed her once more before slowly standing up.  
"I love you, Lily. I'll be home soon."  
"I love you too, James. I'll be here."  
James smiled at his fiancée and grabbed his wand from the coffee table. He made his way to the front room, where Lily heard the pop of his disapperation.

Lily sighed as she stood and went to their bedroom. She pulled on one of James' shirts, inhaling the scent that was present on all his things.  
_And here I am, sniffing his stuff._ The thought made her smile slightly.  
She pulled on her comfiest pajama bottoms and grabbed the duvet from the bed. She made her way back down to the living room and laid down on the couch, pulling the comforter over herself. She smiled a few moments later when she realized that the position she was in was the exact same position James had described, and the thought made her smile again, as she allowed sleep to drag her into unconsciousness, finally realizing how tired she was.

* * *

James returned a few hours later. He didn't have any new physical injuries, but the emotional scars he'd gained that night would likely never leave. When he walked into the living room, he smiled when he found Lily on the couch. He walked over to her and pressed his lips to her cheeks.

"Lily." He whispered. "I'm home."  
He wasn't really expecting a response, so it wasn't a shock when there was no response, other than her slowly opening her eyes.

James smiled at her and lifted her into his arms, having never lost his strength from his years of Quidditch.

He carried her out of the room and up the stairs, down the hall to their bedroom. He laid her gently on the bed, and went to change out of his dirty clothes. He pulled on a pair of boxers, and climbed into the bed next to Lily.

"How was it?" She asked. For as out of it as she had been only minutes ago, the look on James' face told her something was wrong.  
"They were kids, Lily. We were sent to check on all the houses with kids in them, just to make sure they were all right. But when we got there, every last kid was dead. There was a little girl, maybe 2 years old. She was still clutching her bunny, her eyes wide open. It was the worst thing I've ever seen, Lils."

Lily nodded. She pressed her face into James' chest, wrapping her arms around him as best she could.

"Are you sniffing me? And you say I should have been a dog…" He joked.  
"Shut up, James. Just hold me. It'll make us both feel better."  
James nodded and wrapped Lily securely in his arms.  
"I love you, Lily."  
"I love you too, James."  
James kissed Lily's head just as she kissed his chest, right above his heart.

They fell asleep not much later, and held each other through the night.

* * *

**There you go! I hope you guys liked the ending, and that it wasn't too awkward.  
Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


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